Lukato supports construction of the new railway line

By Risco Lumamezi

PRESIDENT of the National Democratic Party (NDP) Mr. Martin Lukato is supporting the construction of the new railway line between Grootfontein in Otjozondjupa, Kavango and Zambezi regions that will enable the inter connectivity within SADC region.

He told Caprivi Vision after his familiarisation tour to Kavango East and Kavango West regions, earlier this month that the north eastern regions of Namibia are still left aside with infrastructure development, while poverty and unemployment among the young people still devouring their aspirations.

According to him, the new railway line will help people from Kavango and Zambezi to have access to cheap transport fare compared with the rest of the country.

“The NDP will push and implement to connect the railway line from Grootfontein to Katima Mulilo via Trans-Zambezi High way, this development it will assist the citizens especially the poor who cannot afford expensive transport”

Government of the Republic of Namibia under the Ministry of Works and Transport has completed the feasibility study and the contractor has yet to be contracted to kick start with the constructions of this new railway line that will connect Namibia to Zambia corridor which will link Southern Africa with the Namibian ports of Walvis Bay and Lüderitz Bay.

According to the Feasibility Study, the railway line alone is estimated to cost N$7 billion.This project is envisaged to extend the rail network from Cape Fria, a new port in Kunene Region near Angolan Border via Ondangwa which would extend the already existing rail network in Zambia , to avoid congested routes through Durban and Dares Salaam in Tanzania, which will enable Zambian minerals such as copper to be exported via the west-coast port.

“The NDP is ready to tackle the all-pending issues in Namibia, our country is well known to be one of the richest countries in the SADC, the entire African continent and in the world at large because of our natural resources which were in powered by the living God.”

He however further added that Namibian natural resources should be shared properly “unfortunately the majority poor Namibians are not benefiting from both the fruits and cake of their independence only few people have benefited and they are still continuing to benefit from the same resources.”